Salt Lake City, Utah (CableMuse.com)
October 08, 2011 - It’s not something you see (or don’t see) every day—pet lovers strolling
down streets, chilling in chairs or parading in parks with invisible dogs at the ends of their leashes.

For some, this nifty new trend might seem to harness all the qualities of the perfect pet—transparent
hair, undetectable doo doo and silent barks. But for those seeking the bona fide benefits of a real dog, these clear canines
are on a mission to deliver a serious message.

The nostalgic, 70’s-style Invisible Dogs (leashes that appear to have an invisible
dog at its end) are beginning to appear in public places from coast to coast, calling attention to the hundreds of thousands
of very real, but unseen dogs hoping to be adopted in U.S. animal shelters.

In every community, there are far too many dogs waiting in shelters, out of the sight of most people who don’t
even know they exist. These frequently forgotten dogs want nothing more than to be seen and given a second chance at life
in a loving home.

“Invisible Dogs is a movement to help people start seeing the incredible number of homeless dogs in
our nation,” said Claudia Perrone, marketing specialist for Best Friends Animal Society. “Our goal is to capture
the public's attention with the iconic invisible dog leash--each leash representing a homeless dog--in hopes of putting the
odds in favor of that dog getting adopted."

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Shelter dogs often are overlooked when potential pet parents begin searching for a new
furry friend.

Many people prefer not to think about the plight of shelter pets, so they inadvertently
add to the problem by choosing to buy from a pet store or some other source, rather than saving the life of a shelter dog
living on borrowed time.

Others simply don’t know how many amazing, adoptable dogs of every age, breed,
mix, color and size are available through their local animal welfare organizations. In many shelters, as many as one-third
of the canine residents are purebreds. Nationally, nearly 200,000 dogs are currently available for adoption from shelters
and rescue groups on http://www.petfinder.com.

Adopting a dog from a shelter saves lives. Those who choose to buy a pet from breeders
or pet stores take homes away from shelter animals, while creating a demand in their community for more pets to be bred or
trucked in from out-of-state puppy mills, large commercial breeding operations where puppies and their parents live in terrible
conditions.

Best Friends
Animal Society has created the Invisible Dogs campaign to help spotlight shelter dogs. Along with shelters, rescue groups
and compassionate individuals, Best Friends works to get shelter dogs into forever homes.

Best Friends Animal Society is a nonprofit organization building no-kill programs and partnerships that
will bring about a day when there are No More Homeless Pets®. The society's leading initiatives in animal care and community
programs are coordinated from its Kanab, Utah, headquarters, the country's largest no-kill sanctuary. This work is made possible
by the personal and financial support of a grassroots network of supporters and community partners across the nation.